You Have a Visitor
by NeverGirl
Summary: Emma returns to White Pine Bay to seek answers from an old friend.


In a room at White Pine psychiatric ward, Norman Bates sat in his paper gown, playing chess with his "mother".

The door opened to reveal Norman's counselor Dr. Finch. He greeted Norman with his usual warm smile. "You have a visitor, Norman."

The man stood from his chair in anticipation before he saw a familiar face walk in. She had the same wide brown eyes and wavy auburn hair. The only thing missing was the O2 tank.

"Emma!" he instantly wrapped his arms around the woman while she stood with her arms at her sides.

"I'll give you some privacy," Finch said.

Emma gave him a look of concern before the doctor hastily pointed at the security cameras in every corner of the room without Norman noticing. Emma breathed a small sigh of relief.

Norman let go after he heard the door close and looked over Emma. "I-I…" he laughed at himself. "I guess I don't know what to say."

She just stared at him like she was searching for answers in plain sight.

"Why don't you come sit?"

She gave another glance at the security camera for reassurance and obliged his request.

He sat beside her and stared at her like he hadn't seen another human being in ages. "So, w-what are you doing here? I mean… do you still live in White Pine Bay?"

Emma shook her head. "No…I moved the Florida with my husband to get a lung transplant."

Norman's smile faded. "Husband?"

The girl just stared at him until he smiled again.

"That's great! W-what's his name?"

"It's…not important," she dismissed. "I just came here to… I don't know. Get some answers, I guess?"

Norman sighed. "Alright. You deserve that."

"Why are you here?"

"You already know the answer to that or else you wouldn't be here."

"I just want to hear it from you."

He stared at his feet before answering. "Mother…did something…bad and…I tried to cover it up but…then I ended up in here with her."

Emma frowned. "Your mother?"

He nodded.

"But…she's dead?"

His eyes widened. "Where did you hear that?!"

"I…I saw it happen. Don't you remember? I was-"

"She's not dead!" he screamed getting up from the couch. "Why does everyone always say that?! She's not dead! She's not!" he cried.

Three nurses came rushing into the room to grab Norman until Emma told them everything was fine. They released him and went back out. Dr. Finch stayed in to watch.

"Okay, Norman…" she approached him like he was a beast that could attack any minute. "Okay… If you say she's not dead then…I must have been mistaken." She held his hand gently. It was so cold.

He wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, yeah…y-you must have just heard it wrong or something because I see her everyday."

"You do?"

"Yeah, she's right-" he turned to the chess table to find no one there. "Well…she was here. But she must have gone to the lunch hall."

Emma nodded. "Right. Of course."

"Oh, but Emma!" he held onto her shoulders gleefully. "You must go see her with me! I think it would be good for her to see your face again."

"Okay," Emma forced a smile on her face.

"Great, come on-"

"Uh, Norman," Finch halted. "Why don't I take Emma to see your mother? Give them some privacy as well."

"Right…" he agreed. "I'm sure she'd love some alone time with you. She values her alone time these days."

Emma gave one last look at a waving Norman before Dr. Finch closed and locked the door behind him. "Are you alright? I know that must not have been easy for you."

"Does…does he talk to her in front of others? Does he really believe she's there?"

The doctor sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Norman is a very…thoughtful man. He spends the majority of his time conjuring up the image and state of mind his mother had. But those thoughts can be both hard and easy to turn off. Sometimes, if we leave him alone too long, he'll _become _her just by concentrating hard enough to bring her forth. But when socializing and being around sanity, he starts to lose the complexity. He still believes she's alive but he has been getting farther and farther from the memory of her. My diagnosis would suggest his mind is trying to block out all those painful memories but he refuses to let it."

Emma stared at the ground in disbelief. "The weird thing is…" she looked back at the doctor. "He doesn't really seem all that…_different_ from when we were kids…How could I have missed all those signs…?"

"Psychopaths are rarely seen by others. After all, they are still people like us. Anyone could be a psychopath but that's why we gain trust before letting them come into our lives."

"But…I _did _trust him. With my life! For all those years…"

"Perhaps Norman was a normal boy before his mother began a new life with her boyfriend. Norman had lost her as a whole. It wasn't enough for her to just be his mother, she had to be only there for him. So when he realized there was another making her happy, he…well, cracked."

Emma sifted through all the memories and never once did she notice a murderous streak.

"Would you like me to keep you informed? I could put your information in our system and send you notices of his behavior on a weekly basis?"

She shook her head. "No…no, I…I just came here for answers. I think it's best to put that part of my life behind me."

"I don't blame you. But you're welcome to come see him whenever."

She nodded and walked out the doors. As she drove out of the parking lot, she saw Norman through a window playing chess and smiling. He looked like he was talking to someone which sent chills up Emma's back. She drove to the airport to return to her new life in Florida, ready to move on from her days at Bates Motel.

* * *

**Just a short 'epilogue' I wrote out of boredom. Will not be continued as an actual story.**


End file.
